24
Layla
I’m in Liam’s bed again. That’s the first thing that pops into my mind when I wake up after an incredible night of sleep, bundled up in his sweats and buried in his blankets that smell like him. Something else smells delectable in the air, I realize. Noticing Liam’s absence beside me, I crawl out of bed, attempt to tame my wild mane of dark hair in the mirror, then exit the room in search of him.
It only takes me a moment to find him in his favorite spot—the kitchen. I’m starting to gather that he spends a lot of time there. He’s making a huge breakfast feast, wearing his signature hat and a hoodie with the sleeves rolled up. I spy eggs and bacon, but something else has a strong, sweet aroma that I can’t see. Cinnamon rolls in the oven, maybe? My stomach growls,
“Good morning,” I chirp, announcing my presence, which he hasn’t noticed yet.
He turns and looks at me with the most cheerful expression, his mouth spreading wide. “Good morning.”
“I have something for you,” he says with mischief in his voice.
“What?” I pause. “How?”
“Magic,” he winks.
“I don’t have anything for you…”
He laughs. “That’s okay.”
Liam flips the omelet that he was cooking onto a plate and saunters over to me, kissing my head in greeting.
“Come here,” he beckons, his large hand grabbing mine and swallowing it up just like his clothes are doing to my body.
He guides me to the couch in the living room, then disappears for a moment, returning with something behind his back. He sits down beside me and hands it to me.
It’s wrapped in some festive cartoon wrapping paper and taped together quite sloppily. I smile.
“Did you wrap this yourself?”
“Yep,” he grins with pride.
I hold it in my lap, still staring at it.
“Well, go ahead.”
I tear open the wrapping and reveal the contents. There’s a basket inside that’s filled with various items. I rifle through the contents, grinning. There are some coffee pods, travel-sized shampoos, lotions, an old paperback romance novel, and a candle.
I can feel his excitement beside me as he watches me discover each item, but I’m at a loss for words.
“It’s just a little care package for you, to celebrate your first experience being snowed in.”
“I…”
“Obviously, I had limited means to work with. These are just some random items I found around the house. I had to dig deep for some of them. I’m sure it’s been a tough couple of days for you with your heater going out then being snowed in, so I wanted to do something…” Liam says.
I laugh because it hasn’t been hard at all. Not in the slightest. I would gladly get snowed in with this man all over again.
“This was so thoughtful of you to do…” I trail off, still fidgeting with the contents of the basket. “But you really didn’t have to do any of this, it hasn’t been so bad...” I blush, glancing over at his powerful thighs next to me, remembering how not bad it’s been.
Then suddenly, the guilt creeps in again. A reminder creeps up inside of me that I am a temporary presence in their lives, and in a week, I’ll go back to reality. Will I be leaving him in my past again? The thought is making my already empty stomach feel queasy.
“If anything, I feel bad I’ve imposed on you,” I continue.
“Hey. Stop feeling bad. I’d want you here whether we were snowed in or not. These last few days have been the best time.” My hair is draped over my face as I look down at the basket once more, and his fingers brush my skin as he reaches to tuck some behind my ear. The warmth of his touch lingers there.
I pull my lips back just a little, trying to push down that nagging feeling. Today, I will try let keep my guard down and simply be in the moment. The rest is a problem for another day.